北大附中海口學校國際部副院長 Roger Russell 博士
 

　　你來自哪里?

　　我出生在美國的德克薩斯州。我在一個不到5000人的小鎮上長大，高中畢業后我就搬到了華盛頓特區。我在白宮為吉米·卡特總統工作(不小心暴露了我的年齡)。那年秋天，我開始在喬治華盛頓大學上學。

　　卡特總統在1980年的選舉中落選后我返回德克薩斯。我去了四所不同的大學完成了我的學業，我學習了政治和歷史學(文學學士)、公共管理(文學碩士)、神學(文學碩士)和教育管理(教育學博士)。我還與我的妻子培養了三個兒子，我們在東歐的羅馬尼亞生活了10年。在那里，我為一個在教育和社會服務領域的非政府組織工作。
 

　　你為什么在中國從事國際教育工作?

　　我希望能積極的影響別人，并在中國獲得成長。

　　離開羅馬尼亞后我攻讀了教育管理博士學位。在我的論文研究中，我調查了大學生在美國短期留學后的改變。這是一個令人著迷的調查，我能運用變革和發展的心理學來理解學生的改變。

　　當我了解到北大附中時，我正在德克薩斯的一所大學教以英文作為第二語言的學生。然而北大附中有著非常特殊的教育模式，將體驗式學習、獨立研究和選課制結合在一起，培養學生的適應能力，為他們迎接海外留學的挑戰做好準備。

　　我意識到在北大附中和中國學生一起工作，能發揮我的特長和熱情。來到北大附中，不僅讓我有機會幫助他人實現目標，也讓我有機會繼續成長。
 

　　你個人的教育理念是什么?

　　我的博士研究中提到，要求一個人在“舒適區”內進步是沒有意義的。在舒適區內，你對已知事物的抱有固有印象。成長是因為要理解未知的事物。成長是解決了新環境中的新矛盾，而這些矛盾解決以前會讓人覺得有點難。

　　作為一名教育工作者，我的目標是在要給學生們提供有挑戰性的課題。如果挑戰太大，學生就會不知所措，所以我們還要給予他們支持。我相信這種挑戰和支持的平衡是教育的核心。如果課題沒有挑戰性，那么就他們就沒有成長。
 

　　在北大附中工作期間你是如何成長的?

　　我之所以成長，是因為我覺得這是一個巨大的責任。在學生成長的關鍵時期，我感覺有壓力，因為我要從個人層面上理解他們。有時我擔心我給他們挑戰和支持是否平衡。隨著時間的推移，當我看到剛開始不適應的學生變成有能力且自信的畢業生，我也變得更加自信，這不僅是對我作為一個教育者的肯定，也是對學生的肯定。還有我的中文在不斷進步!
 

　　你在海口的新生活怎么樣?

　　海口有點像德克薩斯，天氣很熱，不像北京那么擁擠。我喜歡湛藍的天空，清新的空氣和友善的人。我們已經與該市不同的教育工作者進行了幾次會談，我們希望將來海口能成為的教育中心。

　　Featured Faculty: Dr. Roger L. Russell

 

　　Where are you from?I

　　’m from Texas, in the USA. China is 14 times larger than Texas but China has 50 times as many people!

　　I grew up in a town of less than 5000 people but upon immediately upon graduation from high school I moved to Washington, DC, to work in the White House for President Jimmy Carter. (Yes, I’m that old!) That fall I started college at The George Washington University.

　　I lost my job because President Carter was defeated in the 1980 election and decided to return to Texas. Plans change and life moves on. Ultimately, the rest of my education came from four different Texas universities where I studied Political Science and History (B.A.), Public Administration (M.P.A), Theology, (M.A.), and Education Administration (EdD). I also spent 10 years with my wife and three sons in Romania in Eastern Europe where I worked with a non-governmental organization involved in education and social work.
 

　　What is your interest in working in international education in China?

　　I want to make a positive difference in the lives of others and, just as importantly, I want to keep growing and developing myself.

　　I did my doctoral studies in education administration after living in Romania. I had become fascinated by how much I had changed because of that experience and a desire to understand the process more fully shaped my program studies and research. For my dissertation research I investigated transformation in U.S. university students catalyzed by their short-term study abroad experiences. This was a fascinating investigation and I was able to use Transformative Learning Theory and Constructive Developmental Psychology to gain a greater appreciation for exactly what that transformation process involves.
 

　　Why do you choose to work in China?

　　I was working with English as a Second Language (ESL) students at a college in Texas when I learned about The Affiliated High School of Peking University of Beijing (PKU Beijing). PKU Beijing’s International Academy has a very special education paradigm that weaves together experiential learning, independent research, and flexibility in course selection to cultivate transformation in its students to prepare them for the challenges of study abroad.

　　Immediately I knew PKU Beijing would be the perfect place for me to apply all of my own experience, education, and passion in the transformation of some of the best students in China. Coming to PKU Beijing would not only give me the opportunity to cultivate others to reach their personal potential and goals it would also give me the opportunity to continue my own growth.
 

　　What is your personal educational philosophy?

　　Based on what I’ve already said I think my philosophy of education shouldn’t be a surprise. I believe education (growth, development, or transformation) comes by “experiencing difference.” One theme that had been highlighted by my doctoral research was that “there is no reason for meaningful transformation within a person’s ‘comfort zone’.” A ‘comfort zone’ is a ‘space’ where you already ‘know the rules.’ It is ‘comfortable’ because your understanding of that reality or phenomenon is not challenged. Growth or development comes because of the need to understand something that doesn’t yet make sense. Ultimately transformation is the result of successfully resolving dissonance or dilemmas that had, prior to their resolution, provoked profound ‘discomfort.’

　　My goal, therefore, as an educator, is to balance challenging students with unknowns that provoke their need to grow with support for them during the process. I believe this balance of challenge and support is the heart of education. If the challenge is too great, the student will be overwhelmed. If the support is too great, i.e. if there is no discomfort, dissonance, or dilemma, then there is no need for growth or transformation.

　　How have you grown in your time working at The Affiliated High School of Peking University’s Dalton Academy?
 

　　How have you been grown since you worked in China?

　　This is a great question because one of the reasons I came here was to grow. I have grown and I’m confident of my continued opportunities for growth. I have grown because I have been stretched and challenged to engage students at a very deep and personal level during a critical period of their development. I have felt this as a HUGE responsibility. At times I’ve been concerned that I might fail them with poor advice, too much challenge, or too little support. Over time, as I’ve seen struggling or insecure students become capable and confident graduates, I’ve become more confident, not only in my ability as an educator but also in the resilience of our students.

　　I have also grown in my ability to collaborate effectively my colleagues. I work with some of the best educators I have ever seen and this is both exciting and challenging. Often, we create new courses, curricula, or experiences that are better than any of us had initially imagined. Now I’m growing more accustomed to the risk involved in trusting others in their specialty even when I may not completely understand it or agree with them. My growth in this area has come from changing my perspective on this process. In the past, I may have considered this type of collaboration to be an example of ‘compromise.’ Now, I’m coming to embrace it as an opportunity to ‘trust.’

　　A final area of growth has to do with language and connection with others. When I was in Romania, I became fluent in the language. Of course, it was hard work but it is a much easier language than Chinese and I also had a year of full-time language study. In China, I know the struggle to learn the Chinese language will last for as long as I am here and I will never become at ease in conversation. Simply knowing that I will never ‘connect’ with others as well as I would like in their own ‘heart language’ is something I am growing to accept.
 

　　How do you enjoy your new life in Haikou?

　　In some ways Haikou is like Texas. It’s HOT and not quite as crowded as Beijing. I love the big blue skies, clean air, and nice people.

　　We have had several meetings with different educators in the city and we are hopeful that we will see Haikou become known as a great center for education in the future. I think it is going to be great!